Homily for Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C, 18 May, 2025

 

Readings: Acts.14:21-27; Ps145; Rev. 21:1-5; John 13:31-33.34-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LOVE IS WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US. LOVE IS WHAT GOD RQUIRES FROM US

As we celebrate today, the fifth Sunday in the Holy season of Easter, our readings today have love as their central theme. In our Gospel passage, Jesus said to his disciples: “My little children, I shall not be with you much longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples”.

Here, our attention is focused on love. But what kind of love are we talking about? Is it the type of love we have in our world today, the love that is based on feelings for selfish gain and lustful desires? I don’t think so, for Jesus didn’t say, I love you as a mother loves her baby or I love you as husband loves his wife or wife to her husband, or I love you as children love their parents or I love you the way a girlfriend loves her boyfriend, nor the way people love their worldly possessions.

No, the love Jesus is talking about is the sacrificial love that comes from the heart and soul of one who is rooted in the life of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. So, Jesus is talking about the love of the Father towards the Son, and of the Son towards his disciples, and of his disciples towards God and their neighbour. This love is joined together with an inseparable seal of heavenly joy.

Thus, Jesus is speaking of the power of love, that life-giving passion that transforms and unites the disciples with the master in a relationship that portrays their new status. For they are no longer to be seen as “servants” but as “friends.” It was by the effects of the cross and resurrection of Jesus that they have come to know what this sacrificial love has accomplished in them through their unity and abiding relationship with Jesus in God the Father.

So, today we are called to embrace the true love of God in our hearts. This is possible only when we understand the true meaning of love and sacrifice. This is exactly what is really lacking in our relationship with God and our neighbours. In fact, a critical look at what is happening in our world today, it is obvious that humanity has lost the true meaning of love. This present generation has failed to understand the true meaning and source of love, and this can be seen in the kind of fruit we bear.

The fruit of love in this generation is so complicated: love has become a tool for selfishness, deception, greed, and emotional and sexual satisfaction. This is because we have abandoned God, who is the source and power of love, and created for ourselves a mirage in the name of love. Hence, this action now makes it further clear that the need to respond to God’s command to love one another sacrificially is very necessary in our societies today.

Dear friends, love is what has been given to us,, and love is all that he requires from us. So, love is the hard way, and love is the only way to solve the problems of humanity. Hence, today, we are called to learn how to love one another as God has loved us. We are called to come back to the source of love. For God himself teaches us that love is an attitude that seeks the good of others, despite how we feel about them.

Love teaches us to be merciful, just as our Father in heaven is merciful. Love is a sacrificial attitude, an attitude that forgives, an attitude that accommodates, perseveres, preserves, heals and builds up when every other thing fails. This is the kind of attitude the world needs now, the attitude that comes from the pure love of God and our neighbours.

Therefore, what God demands from us is love, sacrificial love. For love is all he has offered us, love is all he is demanding from us. He is not asking us to offer what he has not given us. He is rather asking us to offer that which he has offered us in abundance. I know that it is not easy to bear the sacrificial nature of love in our world today, but that is what the world needs now. Loving one another requires sacrifice. Sacrifice of our comfort, resources, talent, gifts and pride.

Loving one another requires forgiveness, mercy, care and humility and not the life of I, I, I, Me, Me, Me that we practice these days. So. Let us not just think about ourselves and our selfish desires, but consider the needs of others and bear that sacrificial aspect of love. How I wish that humanity could embrace this command of our Lord Jesus, by investing more in the things that ensue love and unity in our societies, rather than spending our energy, time and resources in producing heavy ammunition for a war that breeds hatred and division in our world.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, love is what you have offered us, love is all you demand from us. As we listened to your words today, may we embrace your love in our hearts and share it with one another even in the midst of persecution and hatred in our world. Let your love reign supreme in our hearts, in our families, societies, countries and the world at large. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a spirit-filled Sunday.

Homily for Saturday, Fourth Week of Easter Year C, 17th May, 2025

 

Readings: Acts. 13:44-52; Ps.98; John 14:7-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

UNDERSTANDING THE PERSON OF GOD THE FATHER THROUGH JESUS THE SON

The use of the imagery of Father and Son by Jesus is one of the means Jesus used to explain his relationship with God the Father. But oftentimes, the people and even his disciples find it difficult to understand the systematic fashion of this relationship. 

So in our Gospel passage today, Jesus tried to explain this relationship to his disciples when he said to them: If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment, you know him and have seen him.

Curiously, Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied'. But Jesus said: you must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father and whatever you ask for in my name I will do it. 

Here Jesus is saying that if we want to know God and understand his ways in relation to humanity, all we need to do is to look at him (Jesus) as the Son of the Father who has come to reveal the true image of God to humanity. 

We are to observe what he does, listen to what he teaches, watch how he behaves, what and who he loves, and what he rejects or defends. For by so doing, we will discover God in him because as the Son, he is the true human image of God. He is one with the Father in unity of existence and life, and this is evidenced in the Words he spoke and the works he performed. 

Consequently,  those who believe in him are endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit and will do greater works than he has done. For he has gone to the Father and whatever they ask in his name he will do it, because they will be asking in accordance with the Holy Spirit in union with the name of the very person of Jesus, whose request the Father will always grant.

Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves today are: what is my relationship with Jesus and God the Father? Do we really believe in God as our Father? Do we personally and truly know and believe in Jesus? Do we have any personal experience of the power of the Holy Spirit? 

The truth is that we can only do great work in his name when we have a personal experience and encounter with the risen Lord, just like the disciples who where filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and spoke out boldly to the people about the good news of Jesus and when they where rejected out of jealousy by the Jews as we have it in our first reading, they turned to the gentiles who embraced the good news with joy. 

Therefore, I don’t know what you want God to do for you, I don’t know the prayer points you recite every day, I don’t know how deep your requests are. All I know is that if we truly have a personal relationship with Jesus and believe in him, we are going to be endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit and will do greater works than he has done, for he has gone to the Father. 

And whatever we ask in his name, he will do it, because we will be asking in accordance with the Holy Spirit in union with the name of the very person of Jesus, whose request the Father will always grant.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in the celebration of Easter, you graciously give to the world the gift of heavenly remedies, grant that we, your children, may have a personal experience of your presence in our lives, so that, presenting our needs before you, we may find favour in your presence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful and peaceful weekend.

Homily for Friday, Fourth Week of Easter Year C, 16th May, 2025

 

Readings: Acts. 13:26-33; Ps.2; John 14:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

BE CONSOLED WITH THE WORDS OF JESUS

With the ugly situation of things in our world, there are different grades of sufferings and problems in our societies today, which both the poor and the rich are testifying to. Hence, we can fill the struggles, the tears, and the disappointments that people are passing through every day.

In fact, some people have lost hope in themselves and even in everything they do as they run up and down seeking solutions. The poor are seeking daily bread, upliftment and favour, the rich are seeking protection and good health, while the evil ones are taking advantage of the situation to destroy the little faith of the people.

The evil in the world is putting our faith to the test, and most people are giving in to their schemes as they are unable to overcome them. So today, Jesus in our Gospel passage said, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.’ And he concludes by saying: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’

Here, we have one of the most consoling words of Jesus to his disciples who were afraid after he had told them about his passion and what would happen to them as well. He reassured them that he would always be with them as he goes to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house.

Similarly, we heard in our first reading, the story of St Paul’s encouragement to the Jewish community in Antioch in Pisidia, telling them how the people in Jerusalem had treated Jesus so badly, rejecting him and condemning him to death, a most painful and humiliating death on the Cross. But God has turned all of that into joy and salvation, as everything had indeed been part of God’s plan of saving humanity. Therefore, Jesus is reminding us again of the Covenant which God has made with us, for He will not abandon us to destruction.

Dear friends, Jesus is indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the only Way for us to pass through and overcome the ugly situation we find ourselves in. He is the Truth that all of us should be following to unveil the lies, deceptions and evil that is going on in our world, he is the Life that we have all been seeking to have and protect. Thus, Jesus is saying to us, do not let your heart be troubled, trust in God and trust in me.

Therefore, all we need is to have a total faith and trust in God through Jesus, who has assured us that he will not abandon us in this ugly situation. Let us, from now on, put our complete trust in God, knowing that in Him alone can we find the truth and a way out of the predicaments and trials we are facing in our world today.

Let us be patient, no matter how difficult our lives and conditions may have been at this moment, for God knows how best to handle the situation. Let us encourage one another, for it is our duty as Christians to bring hope to humanity, especially in this most difficult moment in our societies.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, You are the author of our lives, freedom and salvation, all we have are yours, thank you for being with us in our daily troubles, struggles, fears, tears, hope and joy, may you provide for the poor, console the troubled, heal the sick, protect and put simile on the faces of your children today and always. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily for Thursday in Fourth Week of Easter Year C, 15th May, 2025

Readings: Acts. 13:13-25; Ps.89; John 13:16-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHOEVER WELCOMES ME WELCOMES THE ONE WHO SENT ME

A good follower of anyone is generally referred to as a disciple, and a true disciple is simply a learner, a student of a teacher, and the goal of such a student is to become like the teacher. This does not mean that the disciple will become equal to the teacher, but will develop the same qualities and skills as those of the teacher.

So today, as Jesus continues with his instruction on what it means to be his follower in respect to the mission he is about to entrust to his disciples he said to them after washing the feet his disciples: “truly, truly I say to you no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him… whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me”.

Thus, as we listened to the Scripture, we are reminded to follow the Lord and obey his ways, his teachings and ensure that we are walking in the path of truth that he has shown to us. Also, as disciples of Christ, there is a need to know the purpose of our life and mission, which is to become like Jesus in deeds and in character.

By so doing, we will have confidence that God will enable us to carry out the work that He has entrusted to us, even when persecuted, knowing that neither the activities of men nor the devil can affect our soul.

A good example of a man who followed the example of Jesus as his Lord and Master is St. Paul, who, in our first reading today,, demonstrated great courage and faith in Jesus. For as he visited the Jewish community in the city of Antioch in Pisidia in Asia Minor, and was asked to speak to the people in the synagogue

So, he began by speaking of the coming of Jesus, the true Messiah,, in whose name he has been preaching and travelling around the community. Paul began by reminding the people of God’s historical plan for the salvation of humanity and how He had always guided His people from the time of Moses to the coming of the Messiah.

Therefore, as followers of Christ, we are reminded that we have also received the same message of truth and encouragement from the Lord through our faith in him. Now, like St. Paul, we have to be courageous in following the instructions of our master Jesus,, especially at this difficult moment when so many people around the world are suffering from the effects of ugly situations in our world today.

Many people have lost their lives, their loved ones, and their jobs. Some are isolated from people they loved, hunger and starvation have turned people into what they are not, fear and uncertainties have become the lot of the common man in the street, kidnapping and violence have become the order of the day.

Dear friends, in the midst of all these difficulties, we are called to be courageous, hopeful, steadfast, and to share with others the message of hope that we have received from the Lord. We are called to bring God’s light into the darkness of lies, deceit, corruption and greed in the world. Following the example of our Master Jesus, we are called to awaken hope once again in the hearts of humanity.

No doubt that this is a very difficult task, but we cannot run away from it. All we need to do is to stand on the strength of our hope and belief in God, so that in all our words, actions and deeds the power of God will be made present in the world through us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we follow the example of Jesus our Lord and Master, grant us the grace of courage and faith so that as your true disciples, we may have confidence to carry out your mission in the world, even in the midst of persecution, sufferings, sickness and death, knowing that your love and care for us surpass all our challenges. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and peaceful day.

Homily For Wednesday, Fourth Week of Easter, Year C, 14th May, 2025. The Feast of St. Matthias.

Readings: Acts 1: 15-17.20-26; Ps.113; John 15:9-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

AS THE FATHER HAS LOVED ME SO HAVE I LOVED YOU ABIDE IN MY LOVE

One of the greatest gifts of God to humanity is love. A gift that shows how much he loves us by sending his Son, whose life-giving sacrifice means salvation for the world. So, the love that Jesus has for us is nothing less than the Divine love that unites the Persons of the Trinity, and Jesus presented this love as life that must continue among his disciples.

 That’s while love is beyond human nature, and when we love, we are actually acting out that very nature of God in us and this can be overwhelming and mysterious because love is the nature of God that we share.

That is why in our Gospel passage today, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

Hence, today, as we celebrate the feast of St. Matthias, we see how the apostles worked so hard to keep the Lord’s commandments and remain in his love, as they chose Matthias to replace the traitor, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Lord and then killed himself in regret and grief. Thus, Matthias, one of the earliest followers of Jesus, was chosen in order to complete the number of the Twelve Apostles as we have it in our first reading.

History has it that St. Matthias, out of love, served the Lord and his Church faithfully, for he went on many missions and travelled as far as Ethiopia. He laboured hard to establish the Church and the faith in different places and preached the Good News of the Lord, calling many to conversion and the true faith.

Tradition has it that Matthias suffered martyrdom in Colchis in Asia Minor. No doubt that St. Matthias, together with the other Apostles, gave their lives, their works, their dedication and their whole heart to serve God and his Church, practising and doing what Jesus had commanded them to do, which is to keep the commandments of God so as to remain in his love.

Dear friends, let us keep the Lord’s commandments, let us embrace Jesus and the love he is offering us. Let us, like St. Matthias,, serve the Lord and His Church faithfully by spreading his love everywhere we find ourselves. The truth is that it actually feels right and awesome to experience and share the love of God.

I don’t know if you have ever loved someone and you show it, or someone loves you and shows it? Or somebody loves you and you know it, it is something great and awesome, because love brings life, healing and wholeness into people’s lives. Thus, it is by loving God in our neighbours that we can share and experience this nature of God in us and by so doing, we will conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and sin.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, You chose St Matthias to become one of the Apostles, grant that through his intercession, we may keep your commandments and abide in your love. And help us to spread this love to the world and by so doing conquer the hatred, self-centeredness, greed and sin rooted in our families, societies and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen, have a lovely day.

Homily for Tuesday, Fourth Week of Easter Year C, 13th May, 2025

 

Readings: Acts. 11:19-26; Ps.87; John 10:22-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

ARE WE STILL CHRISTIANS?

Giving a name to things is one of the habits and traditions of the human person. Little wonder Adam’s first assignment was to give names to what God had created. And throughout human history and even today, a name is a powerful thing with great significance that can not be neglected. Names of things have deep meaning drawn from experiences that help define the reality surrounding such things.

So today, in our first reading, the disciples of Jesus were for the first time given the name “Christian” in Antioch. But why a new name with a new word for these disciples of Christ in Antioch? Why was the name given by outsiders, and why is the name different from other groups of the Jewish sect?

From the reading, we heard that persecution forced many believers from Jerusalem to be scattered to various areas, as some from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks, telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Thus, seeing that their devotion, passion, love, behaviour, activity, and speech were like that of Christ Jesus, they called them Christians. This is because it was common for the Greeks to give nicknames to particular groups based on their way of life in relation to their leader.

So, since this new group were characterised by the behaviour and speech centred on Christ, they called them “Christians,” or “those of the party of Christ.” And in Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians because their behaviour, activity, and speech were like Christ's.

Today, if the early Church were given the name Christian, what name would they give to us? Though we are called Christians, followers of Christ, are we really behaving like Christ? Are we still having that devotion, passion, love, behaviour, activity, and speech like that of Christ and the early disciples? The disciples were scattered to various places due to persecution, but everywhere they went, they proclaimed the Good News of Jesus with their lives. Are we doing the same today?

Dear friends, today we have the personal responsibility to ask ourselves, “What does the name Christian mean to me? Am I living out the responsibility of the name Christian, which I claim to bear? Does the name Christian speak of my deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Do I perceive the name Christian from the world’s perspective today, or what it really means to be Christ-like?

Remember, the people of Antioch gave the name to the disciples of Christ based on the experience of the reality they represent, but what name will the people of our society today give to us based on how we have represented the reality of the name Christians?

In fact, do you still belong and believe in the true meaning of the name Christians? Hence, Jesus says in our Gospel passage today, you do not believe because you are not a sheep of mine. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost, and no one will ever steal them from me.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, grant we pray, that we may always find delight in bearing the name Christians even in the midst of persecutions and difficulties, give us grace like the early disciples to bear authentic witness of the Good News of Jesus by our way of life, he whob lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. God bless you.

Homily for Monday, Fourth Week of Easter Year C, 12th May, 2025

 

Readings: Acts. 11:1-18; Ps.42; John 10:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

EMBRACING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Leadership is one of the characteristics of the human person, it is what makes us unique from every other creature. It is a gift from God by which we serve Him and our neighbour responsibly. However, a critical look at what is happening in our world today makes it obvious that humanity is losing the true meaning and essence of leadership.

This is because we have failed to understand the true meaning and source of leadership, and this can be seen in the kind of fruit we bear as leaders. The fruit of leadership in this generation is so complicated: leadership has become a tool for power tussle, selfishness, deception, greed, corruption and intimidation of people. This is because we have abandoned God, who is the source and giver of true leadership skills and knowledge.

Hence, in our Gospel passage, while addressing the people on the good leadership qualities and attitudes, Jesus said, ‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. Anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way,, is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one, he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him, for they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

Here, Jesus made us know that the characteristics and attitudes of a good leader are rooted in a life of sacrificial love, care, discipline, mercy and knowledge of the sheep or people entrusted to the leader. And this is what Jesus demonstrated with his life. Showing us that love is the fundamental root of leadership. Without true love for the people, there will never be a leader to be called a good shepherd.

Therefore, today we are called to come back to the source of love, God himself, who teaches us that love is an attitude of a true leader that seeks the good of others, despite how we feel about them. He teaches us to be merciful, just as he is merciful. Love in leadership is a sacrificial attitude, an attitude that forgives, an attitude that accommodates, preserves, heals and builds up others when every other thing fails.

Dear friends, this is the kind of attitude in leadership that the world needs now, the attitude that comes from the pure love of God and neighbours. But how can humanity recover these leadership skills rooted in the power of love? How can we harness it to bear more fruit in our societies where it seems as if true leadership exist no more?

This is possible when we realise that we are all products of love and are called to live out our essence, which is to love. We are called to be good examples to one another, imitating Jesus the Good Shepherd, who has been so loving and caring towards us. And these we are called to reciprocate to others, and by so doing, we will finally reach that grazing ground where all who followed Jesus the good shepherd in simplicity of heart will feed on the green pastures of eternity in heaven.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we listen to your words today, may we embrace the attitudes and qualities of good leadership, knowing that in you resides that leadership of love that is lacking in our society today. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week.